4 Signs You Have Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder that can upend your health and wellness. Fortunately, it can get treated — and early intervention is the key to preventing complications. Here are four signs you might need treatment.
Prepare Your Home for Wisdom Tooth Extraction Recovery
Wisdom tooth extractions are fairly common, but that doesn't mean they don’t come with challenges. Unlike regular extractions, wisdom tooth extraction can require more advanced techniques and a somewhat long recovery period. Preparing your home beforehand helps you relax and focus on feeling better.
Marvin Taylor, DDS, at Dr Taylor’s Family Dental Center, is skilled in wisdom tooth extraction using advanced techniques for the fastest and most comfortable recovery. As a team of four providers, we offer simple tips to help our patients prepare their homes for a better recovery experience.
Stock your pantry
After extraction, you have some soreness and swelling and want to avoid putting pressure on the area or irritating it. Sticking to soft foods for the initial recovery period protects the area while providing the nutrition your body needs to support healing.
Before your extraction, make a grocery store trip to stock up on yogurt, cream- or broth-based soups, pudding, gelatin desserts, applesauce, and even ice cream. Mashed potatoes and smoothies or protein shakes are good choices, too. Choose easy-to-prepare or ready-to-eat options when possible to make meal prep simple.
Prepare for pain relief
Have over-the-counter nonsteroidal pain medicine, like ibuprofen, and have an ice pack handy to help relieve swelling. (No ice pack, no problem - use a bag of frozen peas or corn instead.)
You receive a prescription for pain medicine to help with discomfort. Have someone fill it out as soon as possible so you have them available and ready to use. One more tip: Keep your head elevated when resting to help reduce swelling and the discomfort it causes.
Carve out a haven
It’s essential to have an area set up and ready for recovery. Choose a quiet and comfortable spot, and stock it with blankets and pillows to keep your head elevated while you relax and heal.
Supply the area with books, magazines, movies, or music to keep you relaxed and occupied, or download these items beforehand. Keep a water bottle or a glass of cool water nearby to stay hydrated. Do NOT use drinking straws since they can cause the protective clot to break loose.
Understand your care routine
After surgery, you still want to maintain your oral hygiene routine but should take extra steps to protect the incision sites and avoid irritation. Using a saltwater rinse helps kill bacteria and reduce infection. Antibacterial mouthwash may help, too. We can give you complete directions and guidance on which products work best.
Follow directions on how to brush around the site once healing is underway. Always wash your hands before performing any oral care routine to prevent transferring bacteria to your mouth. Keep some gauze pads on hand to change the pads we apply after your procedure.
Review your recovery instructions ahead of time
After your surgery, avoid strenuous activities for several days to a week. Ask a friend or family member to run errands for you during that time, picking up prescriptions or grabbing groceries if you need them. You also need to arrange to have someone drive you home after your visit since the anesthesia makes you groggy.
Don’t smoke or use straws since these activities can lead to delays in healing, infections, and other complications. If you experience excessive bleeding, if your clot dislodges, or if you develop a fever or worsening pain, call the office right away so we can check for infection.
Take the worry out of wisdom tooth extraction
Preparing your home for wisdom tooth extraction means you have one less thing to deal with once the procedure is complete. And, of course, if you have questions about your care and recovery, our team is just a phone call away.
Our team of four dentists offers same-day emergency visits and seven-day-a-week care. To learn more about wisdom tooth extraction or to schedule an evaluation, call 248-681-8100 or request an appointment online at Dr. Taylor’s Family Dental Center in Waterford, Michigan, today.
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